Victorian Undead #1
Reviewed by David O' Leary
Story
by: Ian Edginton
Art by: Davide Fabbri
Colours by: Carrie Strachan
Letters by: Saida Temofonte
Cover by: Tony Moore
Publisher: Wildstorm Comics
Cover Price: $2.99
Cover Date: January 2010
Book Summary:
"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Those are the words of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, the world's first consulting detective, yet even he finds his skills tested to their limit as he and his erstwhile comrade Dr. John Watson are confronted with the most extraordinary case of their career - the dead are returning to life! Can a plague of Biblical proportions be far behind for Victorian London? And who - or what - is behind the resurrection of these ravenous revenants?
From renowned writer Ian Edginton (STORMWATCH: PHD) and acclaimed international artist Davide Fabbri (Star Wars) comes the first chapter in an incredible new 6-issue Sherlock Holmes adventure! Featuring a cover by original Walking Dead artist Tony Moore!
Reviewer's Comments:
"The Star of Ill Omen"
Ian Edginton is no stranger to The Great Detective as he has two published adaptations out already this year on this side of the pond from a British Publisher and two more on the way in 2010. He is one of those writers that you have probably read something from him and not even known it. As a long time 2000AD contributor and multiple collaborator of Dan Abnett, he is a well-versed and reliable writer and that ultimately was what clinched it for me to buy this issue. It is well stated that the zombie genre is getting to the point of being over saturated but if people are buying the books, what the hey. This is something a little off the beaten path and if I didn't like it I could easily jump off.
It is no surprise that we are seeing a multitude of Sherlock Holmes books on the shelves lately, partly to cash in on the upcoming movie and partly in an effort to tell a Holmes story as he has been missing in comics for a long time. It was done really well with the recently concluded Dynamite series from Leah Moore and John Reppion and not so well in Planetary #11 of all places. So what we get here is something in the better category but not on the level of the Dynamite book but serviceable all the same.
The story opens in March of 1854 and the impending crash of a meteor to Earth. It explodes over London and its material infects the water supply in a localised area of the slums. A doctor and Reverend are among the first to experience the rising of the undead as a result of tainted water. Fast-forward to 1898 and we are first introduced to Holmes and Watson in a scrap with a thinly veiled Professor Moriarty character who is fully robotic. The following day under the streets, two miners unearth the remains of an undead from years before and unwittingly become zombies themselves. After a viscious fight amongst themselves, they are restrained by the police and Inspector Lestrade brings in Watson and Holmes to investigate the case. The issue reads remarkably quick for amount of story contained and I don't know if that is a good thing or not. But by issues end, there is enough in it for the reader to come back for more.
The artist is Davide Fabbri, who you might know from Star Wars Jedi Council: Acts of War and here it is unfortunate for Davide that Aaron Campbell did such a great job on the Dynamite book as although it is okay for what it is, it can't touch Campbell. The book doesn't look like it has the vintage authenticity to pull it off. It looks like modern Old London rather than what the town looked like back then and like I said, it's unfortunate.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle only wrote four novels featuring Holmes and just under 60 shorts and I would like to see some original quirks added in to the story to complement that (but not that he was a cocaine addict, as Doyle had written him) as some writers can go way wide of the mark. Just because it says Holmes on the cover doesn't mean its Holmes inside. But look past the artistic licence and it is good enough to come back for more.
Rating the Issue
| Story Story: Overall 7 Concept - 7 out of 10 Plot - 7 out of 10 Dialogue - 7 out of 10 |
Art Art: Overall 6 Style - 6 out of 10 Storytelling - 6 out of 10 Colour/Tones -6 out of 10 |
Importance Importance: Overall 6.33 To the Title - 7 out of 10 To the Company - 6 out of 10 To the Medium - 6 out of 10 |
Take a Look Inside
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Reviewer Bio
Name: David O' Leary
email: idwfan@yahoo.co.uk
Been reading comics: for about 12 years now.
Review Bio: I am a 26-year-old Hotel Manager from the west coast of the Republic of Ireland and think this is a great way to talk to others about this cool medium. I am a husband to one wife and father to one girl (so far).
Favorites: ONI's Whiteout, Vertigo's Scalped and Garth Ennis Preacher and Punisher in Trades. In comic form I am reading a lot of Marvel and a bit of IDW, Dark Horse & WildStorm among others.
Website: Sorry, I don't have one!
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